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Privacy Policy

At The Great Plains Laboratory Inc. we understand that your health is a very personal matter. We appreciate the trust you place in us to treat your information cautiously and sensibly. Our privacy policies (linked below) outline the types of personal information we collect and use when you use our services, as well as some of the steps we take to safeguard your information.

Other Tests and Screenings

Cancellation Policy

The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. must be notified by the medical practitioner, patient, or parent/guardian to cancel the test. Cancellations will be honored if requested within 24 hours of receipt of the sample by the laboratory. Because testing processes begin within 24 hours, requests for cancellation beyond this time will not be honored.

Clinicians: Setup an Account

Please complete the appropriate form below to set up an account with our laboratory. In order to be able to view the PDF version, you must have Adobe Reader installed.

Domestic Clients*

International Clients

*The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. does not perform testing in New York. Specimens received from patients who reside in New York or clinicians who practice in New York will not be processed.

Credit Card / Check

Payment is required with specimen for your test to be processed.

Take advantage of our prompt pay discount by paying in full at the time of testing. We accept checks and all major credit cards including: Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, JCB, and Diners Club. We will send a statement of services for you to file with your insurance company.

Metals Red Blood Cell Test

About the Test

Heavy metals toxicity caused by increasing levels of pollution and use of chemicals in industry is a growing threat to our health and development of our children. High levels of toxic metals deposited in body tissues and subsequently in the brain, may cause significant developmental and neurological damage.

Why Choose the Metals Red Blood Cell Test?

Analysis of red blood cells provides the best diagnostic tool for assessing the status of elements that have important functions inside cells or on blood cell membranes. Blood cell element levels are useful for assessing cardiac influences, anti-inflammatory processes, anemia, immunological function, glucose tolerance and other disorders that are associated specifically with zinc deficiency.

The Red Blood Cell (RBC) Test is an invaluable diagnostic method for assessing insufficiency or excess of elements that have important functions within cells or on blood cell membranes. An important feature is that the cells are not washed, because this would result in partial loss of some important elements that bind to the plasma membrane, for example, calcium.

Accurate assessment of essential element status is highly recommended for the determination of appropriate supplementation. The absorption, transport, and metabolism of essential elements is highly integrated and regulated. Inappropriate supplementation or dietary imbalance of elements can have significant adverse health effects. For example, excess intake of zinc or molybdenum can result in copper deficiency and, although essential, excess retention of manganese can have serious neurotoxic effects. RBC element analysis is also useful for the assessment of ongoing or very recent exposure to specific toxic elements that accumulate preferentially in erythrocytes. These toxic elements include arsenic, cadmium, lead, methylmercury and thallium. It is important to keep in mind that elevated levels of the toxic elements in these cells reflect only recent or ongoing exposure and do not provide information about the net retention of the metals in the body.

RBC element analysis should be performed prior to and intermittently throughout the course of detoxification/chelation therapy. Monitoring essential element status is necessary to identify needs for and effectiveness of supplementation. Replacement and maintenance of adequate levels of essential nutrients can markedly reduce the apparent adverse "side effects" associated with the use of detoxification agents, per se, and the general effects of mobilization of toxic elements. It is important to note that some diseases are associated with abnormal levels of blood cell elements that could be misleading with respect to nutritional status. For example, blood cell copper can be temporarily elevated during inflammatory response while liver levels are not.

The Benefits of Metals Testing

Determine if metal toxicity or mineral deficiency is contributing to the disorder

Monitor the effects of chelation (elimination of heavy metals from the body)

Identify if supplementation of important minerals may bring about significant improvements

Testimonial

Metals and Minerals Testing by Rachel West, D.O.

Analyte List

Essential:

Boron

Chromium

Calcium

Copper

Iron

Magnesium

Manganese

Molybdenum

Phosphorus

Potassium

Selenium

Vanadium

Zinc

Toxic:

Arsenic

Cadmium

Lead

Mercury

Thallium

Specimen Requirements

4 mL of packed cells in a royal blue-topped potassium EDTA tube is required. The plasma must be removed and discarded from the specimen within 1 hour of collection